Record Label: Deranged Records
Genre: Power Pop
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link
Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. When I usually get music to review for this site, it ranges from extremely shitty to moderately shitty, with the occasional non-shitty album appearing. But I think I’ve found some pure gold in the usually heap of emo records. Vancouver’s Tranzmitors, a power pop punk outfit built from various bands like the Smugglers and the New Town Animals. This quintet of talented and energetic lads play some of the best power pop on this side of 1981.
You see, it’s not just enough to play pitch-perfect Undertones meets Buzzcocks style power pop, but to write good songs, perform them with a tight and exciting sound, is how Tranzmitors succeed unconditionally on their debut album. They’re not trying to be a retro sounding band for the hell of it; they sound like they believe in their own music and are putting everything they can into rocking out. The album, with ten songs in just a half hour, is if anything too short, but fantastically shows a range of songwriting and performance in the all-too-brief songs. The group make strong use of double guitars and a killer organ sound that permeates most of the tracks.
Opener ‘Plastic Genocide’ sounds like a song that Pete Shelley wish he wrote, with some tight musicianship and a great chorus hook. But for me, the album really gets its ball rolling by the third track ‘Do I Really Wanna Know,’ where the band do what they do best: playing super-catchy, hook-filled power pop with an energetic and at times frenetic pace.
Anyone who is still mourning the loss of the Exploding Hearts needs to look no further than Tranzmitors. Their sound, energy, and near perfect album will in all hopes get them the recognition they deserve.
Bottom Line: Fucking incredible power pop. Seriously. Go buy this now.
Notable Tracks: Plastic Genocide, Do I Really Wanna Know, Beating Up My Heart, Is Your Head Hollow
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